Apparatus for making toasted pocket in a bun



Dec. 23, 1958 R, LMATlNA 2,865,280

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TOASTED POCKET IN A BUN Filed Dec. 19, 195s s sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR. fr/Mm Hmm/NH Arranz/VFY R. LAMATINA 2,865,280

APPARATUS FOR MAKING TOASTED POCKET IN A 5 Sheer.s-Shee'fl 3 Filed Deo. 19. 1956 INVENTOR.

FMH/:eo anar/NH Ww 34PM United States Patent MAKING TOASTED PCKET IN A BUN APPARATUS Fon My invention relates to apparatus for making pockets in buns of the type that areV used for sandwiches.

My invention relates more particularly to an appara tus which automatically forms a pocket in a bun, heating the walls of the cavity and thel peripheral edge about the cavity simultaneously. 0

'My invention further contemplates the provision together with apparatus for making the pocket above de scribed, of a heating means for toasting the lower surface of the upper portion of the bun that has been sliced oft' to provide the top of the sandwich.

VBuns prepared in the manner above described are especially desirable for sandwiches with hot or cold food combinations, such as ground beef, barbecued meat, egg i salad, ham salad, chicken salad, tuna lish, etc. These are all sandwiches of the type in which the filling is loose, 0 and when this filling is placed between slices of bread or between the top and bottom of a sliced bun and is eaten, the food particles are frequently spilled on the persons clothes, the table and the Hoor.

'I he principal object of the present invention is to provide an improved apparatus for preparing a hun in the manner above described, the apparatus being such that the operator places the bun portions in the machine, and when the action of forming a cavity and toasting the walls of the cavity, the peripheral edge about the same, and the bottom side of the top of the bun has been completed, an audible and visible alarm is sounded and the mechanism is also stopped so that burning or scorching ofl the prepared parts of the bun is prevented.

A further object of the invention is to provide an automatic machine of the type described which is adjustable both as to the degree of heat desired, the depth of the cavity desired, and the length of time for performing the operation.

@ther objects and advantages will be more apparent from the following description wherein reference is had to the accompanying drawings, upon which:

Fig. l, is a plan view of a machine embodying the invention;

Fig. Z is a cross-sectional view showing the driving mechanism and associated parts for operation of the machine and is taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. l;

ig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the center of the machine, taken generally on the line 3-3 of Fig. l; and

Fig. 4 is a wiring diagram showing the circuit for the automatic control of the mechanism.

in the embodiment of the machine which l have chosen to illustrate and describe the invention, the machine generally may comprise a base casting lll which may have the front and back walls 12 and 1d and a top wall i6 pro vided with two rows of cavities 18 and 2t). Each of the cavities tb? has a bottom wall 13a and a cylindrical side wall lSb of a size to receive the lower part of a generally standard size bun B of the type used for hamburgers and similar sandwiches.

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Each of the cavities 20 has a bottom wall 20a and an arcuate peripheral side wall 2Gb, the cavity being comparatively' shallow to receive the top B of a bun in a slightty compressed condition.

rl he beaters for toasting a pocket or cavity in the bun sections B are in the nature of cylindrical plungers 22 having a concentric ange 24 which extends beyond the edge the opening 18 so that when the bottom section of a bun B is placed in the same it will be slightly compressed about its peripheral edge B2 and an opening B3 will be impressed therein.

'l he upper surface of the bun tops B are heated by a llat strip heater 26 which extends across all four of the cavities Ztl shown in the drawings. The heaters 22 are carried by a frame 28 fastened to the hinged cover plate 3b and the strip heater 26 is also carried by a bracket 32 from the cover plate 30.

The cover plate 30 may be mounted at the lower end of its back wall 36 on a hinge pin 38 which is carried by a hinge strip 4t) fastened to the back of the back wall 14 of the base casting 10. A buzzer shut-olf switch i2 is mounted on the back of the hinge plate 40 and is actuated by a spring-pressed arm 44 which is depressed when the cover plate 3@ is raised, as will be hereinafter described.

Means for adjusting the depth of the cavity to be made in thehun section B may include a post i6 mounted on the topV of the base iti and an adjusting screw 48 mounted in a boss itl of the cover plate Si), the adjusting screw having a knurled head 52 which may be turned to raise or lower the distance of downward travel of the plungers 22. A pair of arms S4 extend forward from the cover plate Sti to support a handle 56 for raising or lowering the cover plate 31B on the hinge 3S.

Means for timing the toasting period and for raising the plungers 22 and strip heater 26 from engagement with the two sections of the bun may include a side plate 6i) on one side of the cover 3) which is in the path of a roller 6;?. mounted on the face of a ilat disc 64. The disc 6d is mounted on the end of a drive shaft 66 extending from a gear reducer 6ft at the forward end of a pulsating motor 7i) of the type usually found in electric clocks. The disc 6d carries the roller 62 on its face, and as it is rotated in a clockwise direction (as shown by the arrow, Fig. 2), it engages under the lifting plate 60 to raise the cover plate 3i) and the heating elements from engagement with the portions of the buns. The time element required for toasting is determined by the length of time that it takes for the roller to descend from a starting position and travel up and under and raise the lifting plate at'the end of the toasting operation.

The disc 64 also has an arcuately shaped notch 72 in its periphery, the notch being located with respect to the roller 62 so that when the cover plate Siti is lifted the spring-pressed roller '74 offa buzzer switch 76 Will engage the notch and start an electric'buzzertl, creating an audi"- ble signal that the toasting operation is linished. rthe 0perator then raises the cover about the hinge 3S until the back wall 36 of the same descends upon the spring-pressed arm tdof the buzzer shut-oft switch 42. The motor continues to drive the disc (ad until the notch 72 is env .gaged by the roller 80. of a motor shut-od? switch 82 which then operates to shut o-if the motor 70.

In a preferred arrangement of the timing sequence above described, it is desirable to have the following time intervals: when the heating members are lowered for engagement with the buns and the motor is started by releasing the switch 42, the disc 64 will travel in a. clockwise direction (see Fig. 2) through the duration ot' about 60 seconds and engage the bottom of the lift-up plate 66 and start to raise the cover 30 carrying the heating elements to remove the same from engagement with the bun sections. The preferred period of time for raising the cover until the audible buzzer is sounded is 15 seconds, and the preferred time for permitting the buzzer to ring until the notch 72 engages the roller 88 of the motor shut off switch is 7 seconds. Therefore the total time required for a complete cycle of operation of the machine is one minute and 22 seconds.

The electrical control and function is best shown in the wiring diagram, Fig. 4, wherein leads 10@ and N2. may extend from a source of alternating current to a pair of terminal posts 104 and 1th?. A lead lil@ may go to a transformer llt? from which a lead or connector T112 extends to one side of a standard electric buzzer 7d, and the return lead 114 being connected back to the transformer.

A connector 116 extends from the transformer to the micro switch or buzzer switch 715 which carries the roller 7d for opening and closing a circuit through the same. A connector 118 may extend from the switch 76 to a second switch 42 which has the spring-pressed arm 4d that is operated when the cover is lifted back to shut off the circuit through the buzzer switch and buzzer. The connector 12% extends from this switch to the terminal post 11M.

The switch 42 also operates to shut o the motor ed, being connected thereto by an electrical conduit 122 that extends through the 'motor shut-olt` switch S2 which is operated by the spring-pressed roller Si) to break the circuit to the motor. The other lead or conduit 1.24 to the motor 63 connects with the terminal post 1MM. The heaters may be connected in parallel by the electrical conduits 130 and 1.32, both conduits having leads connected through the plate heater 26 and thro-ugh the four plunger heaters 22. A pilot light 134 is also connected in this line together with an adjustable thermostatic control 136 for regulating the amount of heat desired through theV resistance wires of the plate heater and the plunger heaters.

From the above and foregoing description it can be seen that I have provided a completely automatic apparatus for toasting pockets into fresh buns' and `also at the same time toasting the surface of the top part of the cut olif bun so that when the cavity of the bun is filled with a semi-liquid sandwich lling the same is practically leak proof and the contents of the sandwich will not spill upon the persons clothing or be dropped to the floor.

By the use of the motor, the drive, and its relation to the cover of the heating section of the machine, it can be seen that the entire operation is automatically performed and both audible and visible signals are given when a toasting operation has been completed. At the same time theV motor is stopped so that there will be no operation of the machine until the prepared buns have been removed and fresh buns have been placed in the heating cavities.

I contemplate that changes and modications may be made in the exact details shown and I do not wish to be limited in any particular; rather what-I desire to secure and protect by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. Apparatus for making toasted pockets in buns which comprises a base having an aligned row of shallow cavities, a cover for said base having plunger members secured to the bottom side thereof and in alignment with said row of shallow cavities, said cover member hingedly mounted along its back edge on said base, a heater member in each or said plungers, a lifter plate attached to one side of said cover plate, a motor, a disc rotated by said motor, a roller carried by said disc underlying said lifter plate and adapted to raise the same after a time period of operation of said plunger heaters in buns positioned in said cavities.

2. Apparatus for making toasted pockets in buns which comprises a base having an aligned row of shallow cavities, a cover for said base having plunger members secured to the bottom side thereof, said cover member hingedly mounted along its back edge on said base, a heater member in each of said plungers, a lifter plate attached to one side of said cover plate, a motor, a disc having a notch in its periphery rotated by said motor, a roller carried by said disc underlying said lifter plate and adapted to raise the same after a time period of operation of said plunger heaters in buns positioned in said cavities, an electric buzzer, a buzzer switch, and a roller on said buzzer switch adapted to engage said notch to actuate said buzzer after each toasting operation. v

3. A machine for toasting the bottom surface of the cut oliD top of a fresh bun and simultaneously compress ing and toasting a cylindrical cavity in the rest of the bun, comprising a base having two rows of cavities therein, one row of cavities for holding the'bun and one row of shallow cavities for holding the cut oif top of the bun, a cover member hingedly mounted along its back edge on the back edge of said base, said cover member having a plurality of plunger heater members, one for each bun cavity, and a flat strip heater overlying said row of shallow cavities, said heater members and strip heater connected to the underside of said cover, a ledge extending from one side of said cover, a motor mounted on said base adjacent said ledge, a disc driven by said motor, said disc having a notch in its periphery, a roller mounted on the side of said disc, said roller adapted to engage beneath said ledge to raise said cover after a toasting operation, a buzzer switch, a motor shut-ofic switch and a roller associated with each of said switches, each roller actuating its switch when it engages the notch in said disc.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNiTED STATES PATENTS 1,512,674 Campbell Oct. 21, 1924 1,956,130 Neuberger Apr. 24, 1934 2,222,314 Husk Nov. v19, 1940 2,243,137 Vaughan May 27, 1941 2,604,841 Kirby July 29, 1952 2,632,379` Kudo Mar. 24, 1953 2,738,427 Fresone et al Apr. 9, 1957 

